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Kia ora, welcome to our first newsletter for 2025.
We hope you enjoyed celebrating with friends and whānau this Raumati, and that Waitangi Day brought renewed energy and time for reading and reflecting with a good book in the sunshine.
In 2025, OraTaiao will continue a suite of work that affirms equity, wellbeing, and regeneration. We will review and renew our joint call for action, update our constitution to align with upcoming changes for incorporated societies such as ours, and grow and enhance our networks across the health sector and climate action spaces.
We are grateful to the many OraTaiao members who have reached out over the past few months to share their ideas and encouragement. We are heartened by your support and motivation to rise and welcome your connection, courage, and care.
Dermot officially stepped down from the Co-convenor position in November, and we are grateful for his many years of contributions and his continued presence on the Executive. Steve Grimson has joined the Exec and is leading our Transport working group - ngā mihi!
Acknowledging the star-spangled elephant in the room, major anti-health and anti-climate moves are being made across Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa. Similarly, Aotearoa has seen a barrage of unhealthy and inequitable policies over the last few months. The Regulatory Standards Bill and Treaty Principles Bill are among the multilateral assaults on climate and health in Aotearoa, which OraTaiao submitted on over the summer period. OraTaiao refuses to stand by while decades of progress for health, climate, taiao, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi are deliberately derailed.
Nevertheless - there is still good news, so make sure to read on! Some great events are just around the corner, including the 2025 Climate Health & Sustainable Healthcare conference on 28-29 July. Save the date!
Ngā mihi nui,
Summer
Convenor, OraTaiao: Aotearoa NZ Climate & Health Council
Climate and Health Wins!
The second Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report for Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand has been released. Emissions of Te Whatu Ora are down 14% from the previous baseline year report - this is huge! The report is a key outcome of the health system decarbonisation work stream, essential mahi for setting emissions targets and developing action plans to measure, monitor and achieve these.
The Whangaroa Stop Toxic Mining Alliance K.A.T.I. has succeeded in preventing toxic mining operations in the District. This win serves as a powerful affirmation that when we stand united, we can protect what matters most, our land, our health, and our future.
Image of Whangaroa hapū and Forest & Bird members at Manginangina Scenic Reserve. Posted in The Northern Advocate.
Another win to celebrate; Taranaki Mounga has been granted legal personhood. This follows Te Urewera in 2014 and the Whanganui River in 2017.
“Today we affirm what we have always known – our mountain is, and never was, a crown asset – it is our ancestor, the living, breathing embodiment of our identity … as Taranaki.” - Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of Te Pāti Māori.
The hope is that such a designation will shift the way our landscapes are treated, from mountains to sea. “When we view them as being ancestors … what we ultimately look to do is to see behaviour change.” - Jamie Tuuta, Chief negotiator for Taranaki Mounga.
Koro Taranaki - Image from Aotea website.
Higher ambition for climate targets needed from government
Unfortunately, our governments' climate goals are not encouraging transformative change. Cue the ‘shockingly unambitious’ new climate target under the Paris Agreement. The agreement commits nations to provide a new pledge, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) every five years. It also requires each pledge to be a “progression beyond” the previous one. Instead, our government chose to cut emissions by 1-5% from the existing target of a 50% cut by 2030. Read about how experts have responded here. Disappointing though not unsurprising. A signal from our government to the world that we will not take responsibility for our fair share of climate action. But this doesn’t represent all of us.
Image of Simon Watts speaking during the climate summit in Azerbaijan. Sean Gallup/Getty Images. Posted on The Conversation.
Growth is the wrong goal
‘Growth trumps everything’ is the message we are hearing loud and clear from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Despite all the evidence highlighting the threat to our existence of the exceedance of planetary boundaries, our politicians and economists seem oblivious to the obvious. Our policymakers have a pathological obsession with GDP, one that ignores what is vital for the health and survival of people and planet. Mike Joy spells it out, GDP, energy consumption, carbon emissions, material use, and ecological footprints are locked together. Increasing growth inescapably means increasing environmental harm.
Against a backdrop of accelerating climate change and rising health inequities compounded by this, many are yelling louder for a shift away from growthism. This webinar next Thursday discusses alternative approaches which replace the goal of increasing growth with the goal of improving human and planetary wellbeing. Compassion demands we change the economic system to measure success in terms of outcomes which reflect what people and planet need.
Shoutout to the Wellbeing Economy Alliance for their epic mahi collaborating for an economy in service of life. Read this great article about rethinking economic growth to regenerate our planet.
You can also join their upcoming webinar on February 23rd, "The Threads That Hold Us: Weaving as an Act of Resistance to Fragmentation".
“Through weaving, we unify movements fragmented by silos and reclaim life-sustaining ways of inhabiting the Earth together. Through weaving, we plant seeds of new socio-economic imaginaries and cultivate the mycelium that connects and nourishes emergent possibilities.”
Image from Wellbeing Economy Alliance LinkedIn, beautifully illustrated by Ngadi S.
Summer of submissions
The holiday season was clouded by the pressing need to submit on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill and The Regulatory Standards Bill.
Luckily, we had the amazing Melanie Nelson guiding the way. We highly recommend our members subscribe to her Substack - Disinterpreted. Melanie helps demystify the foggy rhetoric of libertarianism posing as a deep fake of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. These Bills represent ideological projects that must be stopped.
It's likely we will see increasing use of social media narratives by the coalition government. These will promote their worldview and distract from the significant issues they are failing to address. If you use social media, make sure you are following trusted sources of information and don't let negative messaging by "bad actors" impact you - as that is the intent. A good source of information is below.
Image from Melanie Nelson Substack
End the proposed public transport fare hikes
Sign and share this petition launched by Free Fares against the proposed ‘private share' targets for public transport, which would lead to fare hikes across the motu. We believe the Government should increase funding for public transport to reduce emissions and improve equity. This is a huge step backward. Let’s work together to get the fare hikes abandoned.
Image from Free Fares Campaign on Action Station
Deregulation of gene technologies
The New Zealand Health Committee is calling for submissions on the Gene Technology Bill by the 17th of February. The Bill is another instance of hurried deregulation which largely serves economic interests while removing existing safeguards.
Submission guides to support:
Stop the Gene Technology Bill - How to Write a Standout Submission
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand
Image from Papawhakaritorito website
Papawhakaritorito, a Kaupapa Māori kai sovereignty project, is against the Bill. This beautiful short film explores this in conversation with Vandana Shiva, world-renowned environmental thinker, activist, feminist, philosopher of science, writer and science policy advocate. You can read more about her battle against GM here.
Integrate that inspiration!
When we learn new ideas we want to live by, it happens in a light-bulb moment. While we may have an insight that way, the insight loses momentum if we fail to embed it into our everyday life. Transformation happens through persistence in nurturing this insight into a lifestyle.
That’s why OraTaiao supports campaigns such as Take the Jump and Live Lightly which encourage clear, doable, everyday actions in service of climate, environmental and human health. They help build an “ecology of practices” which enable kinship and regeneration.
How do my actions affect the well-being of others, human and non-human? How do I contribute to the health of the ecosystems I am part of?
Our actions matter when we cultivate attentiveness to the relationships they exist within. Not as individual moral achievements, but rather acts of relational care. This call to deepen our engagement with the world is what we will explore in an upcoming webinar. Details to come.
Image from Wellbeing Economy Alliance LinkedIn, beautifully illustrated by Ngadi S.
Dive deeper
Image from Centre for Climate Psychology
Check out the awesome resources hosted by the Centre for Climate Psychology, The Pocket Project, and the Collective Change Lab. They offer courses on “Healing Centered Systems Change”. Recognizing and healing trauma in ourselves, others, and systems can open up new pathways where all beings and our planet can flourish.
Image from Eventbrite - A course by the Collective Change Lab
Robin Wall Kimmerer, the author of Braiding Sweetgrass shares a heartening reminder of the importance of leading with embodied presence. May we learn to listen, share, and nurture regenerative practices that honour the interconnectedness of human and more-than-human life.
WHAT’S ON - FREE EVENTS across Aotearoa:
Aotearoa Bike Challenge
What: Join our OraTaiao Group and get biking!
When: February, and whenever you can
Where: Across Aotearoa
Image from Love to Ride
Bike Auckland Community Workshop
What: Learn effective campaign tools for bike advocacy.
When: Sunday, February 16 @ 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Where: Takapuna War Memorial Hall
Image from Bike Auckland
The Greenpeace Survival Guide for 2025
What: A serious and fun panel discussion about the state of the environment in Aotearoa in 2025 and what we have to look forward to.
When: Tuesday 18th February @ 6.30 pm
Where: Whammy Bar or YouTube Livestream
Image from Greenpeace website
Climate Action Support Network
What: Regular climate cafes for whatever you want to chat about regarding the climate crisis. You are not alone in your grief.
When: Monthly, 3rd Sundays and 1st Sundays @ 10.30 am
Where: Devonport Community House, Auckland Art Gallery
Image from Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
EcoFest
What: Month-long celebration, packed with interactive workshops, experiences and activities for all ages that celebrate and restore our natural environment and offer practical ways to live more sustainably.
When: 22 March - 22 April
Where: Across Tāmaki Makaurau
OraTaiao is considering hosting an event as part of the festival. Keen to be involved? Get in touch and we will send you an invite to join our upcoming hui.
Image from EcoFest website
Climate Kōrero Pōneke
What: Storytellers Night, inspiring Pecha Kucha speakers sharing their incredible mahi in the climate action space.
When: Thursday 13 March @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm.
Where: Two/Fiftyseven, Te Upoko o te Ika, Wellington
Image from EventFinda Listing, Wellington City Council
Nelson Green Drinks
What: Monthly meet-up hosted by Bluemoth for people and businesses passionate about protecting the environment. Next week will be joined by the wonderful Ethically Kate.
When: Thursday 20 February @ 5.30 pm
Where: Two Thumbs Brewery, Te Tau Ihu, Nelson
Image from BlueMoth LinkedIn
Climate Action Tai Tokerau Conference
What: Two days of presentations and workshops exploring how healing the climate and building prosperity are synergistic, with a focus on kai and energy.
When: 21 and 22 March 2025
Where: Forum North, Whangārei
Image from Climate Action Tai Tokerau Website
Climate Action Network webinar
Weaving Mātauranga Māori for Sustainable Food Systems
What: Join whaea Valerie Teraitua-Hotene, kaiwhakahaere Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae in Māngere. This webinar will explore how mātauranga Māori and Hua Parakore guide sustainable food systems and thriving, food-sovereign, and culturally grounded communities in the face of climate change.
When: Wednesday 19th @ 12-1 pm
Where: Zoom link, Meeting ID: 846 4125 8532, Password: 288088
Image from Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae website
SAVE THE DATE! Taiao. Tangata. Hauora. Climate Health and Sustainable Healthcare in Aotearoa Conference 2025
What: An action-oriented sharing of diverse research and practice knowledges about climate change, health, and sustainable healthcare in Aotearoa and beyond, centralising mātauranga Māori and Indigenous knowledges.
When: Monday 28, Tuesday 29 July
Where: Nordmeyer Lecture Theatre, Otago University Newtown Campus, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington. Regional Hubs to be confirmed. Online attendance is available.
That’s a wrap. Know of other events happening or have news you want to share? Get in touch so we can add them to our OraTaiao calendar and pop them in the next newsletter!
Thanks for reading :)
Dani, OraTaiao Coordinator
OraTaiao: Aotearoa New Zealand Climate and Health Council
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